Spark-plug cleaner.



Patented Jan. 2l, 1919.

F. C. MILLER.

SPARK PLUG CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.25. 1916.

INVENTOR wr'rN EssEs N TED s FRANK' CORNELIUS MILLER, OF TRINIDAD,COLORADO.

SPARK-PLUG cLEANEa.

i Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

Application led September 25, 1916. Serial No. 122,151.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KFRANK C. MILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Trinidad,.in the county of LasAnimas and State of Colorado,have invented a new and useful Spark-Plug Cleaner, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention has reference to spark plug cleaners, and its object isto 'provide a simple and inexpensive device whereby spark plugs may 'bereadily cleansed ofV accumulated carbon, even though the lattertenaciously adheres to the parts of the spark plug covered thereby.

In accordance with the present-invention there is provided a casinghaving a hopper for abrasive material into which hopper usedabrasivematerial may be readily returned. Connected with the hopper is a blastnozzle having connections exterlor to the casing `for the application'ofa duct whereby compressed air may be utilized as the propelling forcefor the abrasive material. The casing is further provided with a holdingdevice for .a spark plug which holding def vice is arranged to protectparts which would otherwise be subjected to the abrasive.

material from harmful eii'ect.

The invention will be best' understoo'dV from a considera-tion of thefollowing detailed description, taken in connection with v theaccompanying drawings forming part of this specification, with thefurther understanding that while the drawings show a practical form ofthe invention, the latter 1s not confined to any strict conformity withthe showing of the drawings, but may be changed and modified so longchanges and modifications come within the scope ofthe appended claims.-

In the drawings:

Figurel is a central section through the device, some parts being shownin elevation. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of thel device.

Fig. 3 is a detail vlew of a portion of the nozzle structure. V l

Fig. 4 is an elevationof a -removable part of the spark plug holder.

as such y casing has a cap 2 by means of which access may behad to theinterior of the casing and this cap is formed with a perforated sec'tion3. I Furthermore, -the cap carries a disk 4 rotatable about a pivot 5and the disk has an opening 6 therethrough which may conformsubstantially to the perforated section 3 of the cap. The opening 6 isof such area that it may expose the perforations 3 or the disk may beturned 'to carry 'the opening 6 .away from the perforated portion andtheimperforate part` of the disk will then cover the perforations.

Within the casing at a short distance below the open end thereof thereis a hopper .7 having a wall 8 spaced away from the tracted as shown at11, and is cut to forml a longitudinal slot 12 for a purpose to bedescribed. The contracted end of the pipe 9 extends across the long part11 of the T l 10 and entering one end of the long part 11 is ano'therpipe extending to the exterior of the casing Where it is connected to avalve 13, which latter is formed to receive a hose 14Aor other ductdesigned to carry air under pressure. The arrangement is such that withabrasive material in the hop.- per 7, such material will gravitatethrough the slit end of the i e 9 Into the long part 11 of the T 10andpthen air under pressure entering through the valve 13 will passaround the contracted end of the pipe and withdraw abrasive ma'teriallfrom the pipe 9 through the slot 12 and drive al stream of abrasivematerial toward the other side of the casing 1, the force of the airstream being regulated by the valve 13. A

.Within the casingand fastto that wall thereof remote from the valve 13is a holder block 15 Ahaving a passage 16 therethrough. The block 15 .isheld to the casing by bolts 17, which bolts also secure to the 'blockaring 18 surrounding 'the passage 16. Moreover, the side-.of lthe casingto which the block'15 is attached hasa passage 19 therethrough of a sizesubstantlally that of the passage 16. The bolts 17 each carry a washer20 capable of turning on the boltl and held thereto by a nu't 21, theWasher5 having a purpose to be described.-

Adapted to the opening 16 is a sleeve 22 with an outer peripheral flange23 at one' end. 'The interior of the sleeve is screwthreaded and thesleeve is adapted to receive Y 19 into the passage 16 vuntil it abutsagainst the ring 18 or against the outer wall of the casing 1 and isheld in place by the .washers 20, which operate as clamp members holdingthe sleeve 22 from accidental displacement. In this manner, the sparking'end of the spark-plug is held within the casing in line with the airblast issuing from the portion 11 of the 'l' 10 which, therefore, servesas a nozzle. Abrasive material carried by the air blast is driven by thelatter against the sparking end of the spark plug then Within thecasing, the abrasive material serving to remove any accumulations ofcarbon which maybe present on the sparking end of the plug. If theaccumulations be hard and-tenacious, the air blast may 'be regulated soas to remove such accumulations. In any event, the stream of abrasivematerial driven by the air blast against the sparking end of the sparkplug quickly cleanses I the spark plug. Now, by unclamping the sleeve 22the spark plug is readily removed from the casing, and if needful otherspark lugs are similarly cleaned. The reservoir may be large enough tohold suicient abrasive material to cleanse several spark plugs, or itmay contain only enough abrasive material to cleanse but one spark plug.

When the air blast is in operation, the disk 4 is moved to expose theerforated portion 3, thus providing escape or the air. The used abrasivematerial flows to the bottom of the casing. When it is desired to returnsuch material to the ho per 7, which may be done after the spar plug isremoved, a cork `25, shown in Fig. 5, or any A. other closure isintroduced into the opening 16, and the disk 4 is turned to close theperforatlons 3, after which the casing is inverted in the manner alreadydescribed to return the abrasive material to the hopper 7 The block 15may be made of wood, and rf such material be used or even if metal likeiron be used, the abrasive material is liable to injure it. For thisreason, the ring 18 is provided and this ring is made of some suchmaterial as hard steelcapableof more effectively resisting the action ofthe aaeaeea abrasive material than either wood or some relatively soitmetal.

l The structure may be made of relatively small size and in the-case ofthe device being used in connection with an automobile, air pumps aresufficiently common with such vehicles to provide air under pressure. Infact any other gas under pressure will operate as would air underpressure.

,What is claimed is Y 1. A device for cleaning spark plugs, comprising`a 'readily invertible casing with a container therein for looseabrasive material at the top portion thereof, said container beingprovided with a high opening communicating with the interlor of thecasing, blast means lcornmunicatin with the container and entering oneslde and directed' crosswise of the casing, and a holder for the'sparkplug entering the opposite side of the casing in line with the blastmeans and positioned to hold the spark plug with the sparking endpresented toward the Vblast means and in line with a stream of materialprojected by the blast means toward the spark plug.

2. A device for cleaning spark plugs, comprising a casing with acontainer for loose abrasive mater1al at a high point therein andprovided with an openingfor directing abrasive material collected in thebottom of the casing into the container by the inversio'n of the casing,blast means carried by the casing and entering one side thereof anddirected toward the other side, and a holder for a spark plug mounted inthe side of the casing opposite the blast means and axially alinedtherewith to support a spark plug with the sparking end. toward theblast means and the other end of the spark plug exterior to the casing.

3. A device for cleaning spark plugs, comprising a casing forcontaining'loose abrasive material, blast means entering one side of thecasing and communicating with that part of the casing for holding theabrasive material to direct a stream thereof toward the opposite side ofthe casing, and an interiorly threaded holder -extending through saidopposite side of the casing and at all times accessible at the exteriorof the casing for receiving thethreaded base of' a spark plug to holdthe sparking end of the plug within the casing and presented toward theblastI means and the other end of the spark plug'exterior to the casing,and the blastnaeaeei g threaded sleeve extending through said-othersleeve and the threaded portion of an inside ofthe casing in axialalinement With serted spark plug.. the blast means for holding a sparkplug in testimony that I claim the foregoing with the sparking end ofthe spark plug' as my own, have hereto afiixed my signa- 5 inteioi1 tohe easing, th; holder for the ture in the presence of two witnesses.

spar p ug aving means or securing it to the easing and provided withmeans resis- FRANK CORNELUS MILLER' tant to the abrasive action of theabrasive Witness/es: material and located within the easing in H. C.MOORE, 1e covering freiation to the inner end of the JAMES H. ROBERTS.

